BY PAUL HUMMEL
CORRESPONDENT
HILLSDALE, N.J. –– Residents took to the microphone at the Nov. 9 municipal meeting to implore the Hillsdale Council not to allow construction of a parking lot on the old Tandy Allen property, which is located on Hillsdale Avenue.
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The proposed parking lot would be used to accommodate vehicles from Demarest Farms in a shuttle system during the pick-your-own season in order to alleviate traffic congestion on the west side of the town in the fall.
According to borough officials, no action is expected immediately on the proposed lot, which would require that the town rezone the area from residential to farming in the event that Demarest Farms purchases the Tandy Allen property from its current owners.
Mayor John Ruocco stated that Demarest Farms has a preliminary contract with the owners of the Tandy Allen property to purchase all 12 acres of the land only if it is rezoned for agricultural use. Only the 3 acres that border Hillsdale Avenue can be used, since the remaining area is wetlands and must be left in its natural state.
“The first 3 acres that abuts Hillsdale Avenue could turn into a pervious parking lot, nothing impervious,” he said.
Resident Anthony Piteo of Hillsdale Avenue asked officials if any decision is forthcoming about the property.
“There is no approval [for the lot],” said Borough Attorney Mark Madaio. “We’ve only been asked to study the issue. That is all we’ve been asked to do. It would be used for parking for 16 days per year only in the weekends in the fall. Sixteen days per year for usage.”
Piteo went on to say that the lot would be unnecessary and poses safety issues for residents of the area.
“It’s extremely congested,” he said. “If it’s only 16 days why don’t you use the school lot?”
“Most people who bought their house did not expect that much traffic in the area,” he added. “It’s a security issue and lighting is horrible. It’s a big risk.”
Lou Ross, who has lived on Hillsdale Avenue since 1964, also stated she was against the idea of a parking lot.
“A 300-car parking lot across the street from me would make it unsafe for me to walk in a westerly direction on the sidewalk,” she said. “Hillsdale Avenue becomes congested daily even now. Trying to exit your driveway is now a challenge. When will you stop ignoring the needs of long-term taxpayers?”
Resident Bill Drummond, also of Hillsdale Avenue, read a statement to the council from his neighbor, Howard Rosenbaum.
“Approval to rezone for a commercial parking lot almost twice the size of the municipal lot in the midst of private homes and four-tenths of a mile from a busy elementary school will have dire consequences affecting the health, welfare and safety of the community and environment,” said Drummond.
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He stated that safety issues like a blind spot on the curve of the thoroughfare should be taken into consideration and that pedestrians, bikers, children and increased vehicular traffic pose an even greater chance of accidents happening on the site.
“I urge the mayor and council to deny a request for any zoning change to the Tandy property to farmland for the purpose of creating a commercial parking lot,” Drummond said. “Hillsdale residents expect and deserve protection for their quality of life.”
He also doubted the claim that if the council approves the parking lot, it will be used for only 16 days per year.
“I have a feeling that once the property becomes farmland, I can’t believe that they won’t be able to do what they want for the rest of the year,” said Drummond.
According to Ruocco, the possibility of a parking lot was broached by the Bergen County Agricultural Farm Board in discussions with the borough about the need to improve the parking situation near Demarest Farms in the fall.
“We’re looking at the possibility of rezoning because it was part of the agreement we had with the farm board,” he said. “They asked us to look at the possibility of rezoning that [property] for agricultural purposes. So we started that process and we’re close to finishing it.”
The report from Maser Consulting on the possible rezoning will be presented to the council in the near future and will give guidelines on how to proceed if the council votes to approve the rezoning.
“The council has to decide if it is feasible and advisable to go ahead and do that,” Ruocco said. “We’re not there yet.”
As far as restrictions on the parking lot’s use to 16 days in the fall as Madaio stated, Ruocco said that might be open to discussion.
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“I don’t know that to be true,” the mayor said. “It would depend on the deed restrictions that go into something like that. It would also depend on the farm board regulations. The farm board is the regulator of the commercial farms and the Right to Farm Act gives certain leeway that others don’t have. So that has to be explored.”